Query
Processing
Basic Steps in Query
Processing
1. Parsing and translation
2. Optimization
3. Evaluation
Basic Steps in Query Processing
(Cont.)
Parsing and translation
translate the query into its internal form. This is then
translated into relational algebra.
Parser checks syntax, verifies relations
Evaluation
The query-execution engine takes a query-evaluation
plan, executes that plan, and returns the answers to
the query.
Basic Steps in Query Processing :
Optimization
A relational algebra expression may have many
equivalent expressions
E.g., salary75000(salary(instructor)) is equivalent to
salary(salary75000(instructor))
Each relational algebra operation can be evaluated using
one of several different algorithms
Correspondingly, a relational-algebra expression can
be evaluated in many ways.
Annotated expression specifying detailed evaluation
strategy is called an evaluation-plan.
E.g., can use an index on salary to find instructors with
salary < 75000,
or can perform complete relation scan and discard
instructors with salary 75000
Basic Steps: Optimization
(Cont.)
Query Optimization: Amongst all
equivalent evaluation plans choose the one
with lowest cost.
Cost is estimated using statistical
information from the
database catalog
e.g. number of tuples in each relation,
size of tuples, etc.
